Autoamtic, change speed drive for pottery ware jiggering apparatus



Nov. 27, 1-945. w. J. WLU E'R 2,389,629

AUTOMATIC CHANGE SPEED DRIVE FOR POTTERYWARE JIGGERING APPARATUSOriginal Fi 1ed Jan. 13, 1944 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iNVENTOR. VWZ/z'czm JM'ZZPP.

a 'ATT RNEY.

Nov. 27, 1945. w. J. MILLER 2,389,629

AUTOMATIC CHANGE SPEED DRIVE FOR POTTERYWARE JIGGERING APPARATUSOriginal Fild Jan. 13, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "W mu.

INVENTOR.

William J. Miller M j" A rrolfi a Patented Nov. 27, 1945 ur orricAUTOMATIC, CHANGE SPEED DRIVE FOR POTTERY WARE JIGGEBING' APPARA- TUSWilliam J. Miller, Swissvale, Pa., assignor to Miller PotteryEngineering Company,

Swissvale, Pa.,

a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application January 13, 1944,Serial No.

518,079. Divided and this application January 29, 1944, Serial No.520,272

11 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic change speed drive forpotteryware jiggering apparatus.

In the making of high grade dinnerware automatically by machinery suchas that shown in co-pending application Serial No. 518,079, filedJanuary 13, 1944, the production may be diversified as betweensuccessive pieces of ware. For instance, a cup, saucer, plate and bowlmay be made in the order named.

Jiggering is that process wherein the mold bearing the clay and aprofile tool are relatively rotated to form the back of the piece in thecase of flatware and the interior of the product in the case of hollowware. Due to differences in ware size and shape and amount of clay to beremoved during the jiggering operation, the relative speed of rotationof the moldand profile tool at which the jiggering operation takes placewill be found to vary as between the several types and kinds of ware,this being in accordance with the best practice. For example in making alarge plate, the tool speed may be considerably greater than that for asmall bowl to effect the proper removal of material and impart thedesired polish to the ware surface.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide apparatus forautomatically varying the iggering speed as between successive pieces ofware being made automatically to thereby provide for jiggering eachpiece of a given class or type of ware at the speed best suited thereto.Another object is to provide for varying the jiggering speed during thejiggering of a given piece of ware to thereby provide the speed adaptedto give the best results at any phase of the jiggering operation as forinstance between the initial or rough cutting phasev and the final orpolishing phase of the operation.

Other objects and advantageous features will be noted in the followingwritten description and accompanying drawings wherein like referencecharacters designate corresponding parts and wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of a fragment of a diverse production automaticpotteryware forming machine with the automatic change speed. jigger tooldrive hereof incorporated therein.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the jigger tool drive.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the jigger tool drive.

Figure 4 drive.

Figure 5 is a detail of the cam disc and control cams.

is a front elevation of the jigger tool Figure 6 is a detail of a speedcontrol cam.

Figure 7 is a detail showing a jigger unit.

35 represents the intermittently rotatable table of an automaticjiggering machine driven by shaft ll'id, Figure 1. Said machine isdescribed in detail in my ce-pending application. The molds M in or onwhich the ware is formed are carried below and rotate with the table 35and are moved into position to be raised by a chuck it, Figure '7, intoco-operation with the jigger tool ass inside housing 38 at the jiggeringposition after the clay has been first spread over the molding surfaceof the mold by a die suspended below the table 35 from gear housing H83.The jigger units, as represented by the housings 38 Figure 1 are mountedon and rotate with table 35. One unit, for instance, the one at A, maybe tooled and adjusted to make hollow ware while the one at B may betooled and adjusted to make flatware and so on around the table therebeing several more such units incorporated in the structure. Thus as thetable r0tates,-the various jigger units are brought in succession to thejiggeringposition which shall be defined as the zone of the table orplatform 2133.

Supported by housing 38 is a rotatable spindle use on. which the toolsare mounted, the spindle projecting above the top of the housing, Figure7. These spindles revolve in a sleeve I55 which is adjustable up anddown by handle I88 to vary the height of the tool relative to the moldto thereby regulat the thickness of the ware. Each spindle has a roller264 fixed thereon above the top of the housing to be engaged and drivenby the jigger drive. The surface of roller is preferably of sufficientwidth to allow for up and down adjustment of the tool withoutdisengaging the jigger drive. The diameter of the rollers of all thejigger units is preferably the same but may be varied if desired inwhich event those jigger units having smaller diameter rollers wouldoperate from a position closer to the perimeter of the table 35 than theothers. Where drive rollers of different diameter are employed,

the drive for said rollers may be operated at a constant speed. In thismanner variation in the speed of rotation of the several jigger toolsmay be obtained,

To rotate the jigger tool spindle I8 of each jigger, the roller 2&4,Figure 1, is adapted to be engaged and revolved by a drive belt 256,Figures 2, 3 and a stretched between pulleys 261, 268 and 269 onvertical shafts 210, 2' and 212 respectively mounted on a platform 213adjacent the periphery and above the level of upper table 35 oppositethe jiggering location, supported by a column 214, from the base of themachine (not shown). Shafts 2H), 2H and 2'12 are triangularly spacedapart with shaft 2l2 being adjustable on the platform to take up tensionin the belt. The run R of the belt stretched between pulleys 2&8 and 269is substantially tangent to the circle of travel of the jigger spindlepulleys 26 3 about the .axis of rotation of table 35 and said pulleysengage the belt as they approach and move to the center of the run R.

Fixed on shaft 272 above pulley 255 is a pulley 2'55 driven by a belt2T6 received between the tapered belt receiving surfaces of an upperdisc 23F] and the floating center disc 2'58 of a variable speed pulleyfixed on a shaft 2% journaled in an overhead support 28! Figure 2, atthe outer end of an angularly movable support 23! Figures 1, 3 and 4pivotally mounted on a shaft 232 secured to platform 233. A drive belt233 connected to a pulley 28d on motor shaft 285, of electric motor 286is received between the lower disc 287 and the central floating disc 278of the variable speed pulley. By angularly moving support 28! therelative speed of travel of belt Zlt may be automatically changed due tothe change in radius of curvature of belts 216 and 283 around thevariable speed pulley. 7

Since the speed of rotation of the jigger spindle I84 and hence thespeed of rotation of the jigger tool, is not the same for all types,sizes and classes of ware and is subject to variation, I propose toautomatically-regulate the speed of rotation of each jigger spindle tothat best suited to the work and in this connection, have provided a camdisc 28%, Figure 5 mounted on a shaft 285' Figure 1 with a plurality ofradially disposed cams 236, one for each jigger unit, Figure 6 havingcross slots 28? for radial and circumferential adjustment on attachingbolts 288. The radial position of the cams determines the amount ofvariation in speed of the jigger spindles and the circumferentialsetting the instant of initiation of the drive. The length of the camsurface determines the duration of the drive at a given speed and thesefactors may vary as between individual jigger units.

As these cams rotate, they engage and depress roller 239 Figure 1 on aprojection 29%] of support 28! to angularly move said support againstthe tension of a spring 292 mounted in a holder 293' bolted to theplatform 273. This causes the speed of travel of the jigger spindledrive belt 266 to change automatically as pulleys 2634 approach thejiggering position and engage belt 256.

Cam disc 234 is rotated by shaft 285 which is driven continuously andcaused to make one complete revolution in the time required for theupper table to make one complete revolution by a gear 294 fixed thereon,Figure 4 driven by a gear 295 on shaft 2955 which is driven bycontinuously rotating shaft 43E by gears 25? and 298, Figure 1.

If it is desired to vary the speed of rotation of any one of the jiggerchuck spindles during the iggering operation, the curvature of the camsurface may be developed to provide the desired change, for instance byone or more reverse curves 299, Figure 6, thus to decrease the speedduring the initial or rough cutting period and increase the speedthereafter, or the radius of curvature may be increased toward thetrailing end of the surface as at 3G0 to provide for increasing thespeed of rotation of the jigger tool beyond that necessary for jiggeringjust prior to completion of the jiggering operation and for a shortperiod thereafter if desired, in order to throw off any stray bits ofscrap clay which may cling to the tool. If desired the speed may bereduced at the time the tool separates from the clay on mold M to avoiddistortion of the bead.

The open bottom housing 38 which encloses the jigger unit, Figures 1 and7, is carried by the table 35 and projects through an oversize holeslightly in rear of the perimeter of table 35. The jigger unit iscapable of a limited amount of adjustment in centering the jigger toolon a vertical axis of the chuck 40 therebelow.

Attached to the lower end of the housing is a replaceable casing 380having an inner sleeve 384 surrounding the jigger tool l8l. This casingco-operates with the jigger tool in directing the scrap clay producedduring jiggering into a stationary chute outside the perimeter of thetable. The housing has a bayonet slot 382 and pin 383 connection withthe casing.

It will be understood that the present drive could be arranged so as toact on the chucks 4B and cause them to revolve relative to the tools IBImerely by changing the location of the drive.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for jiggering potteryware, a plurality of jiggeringmechanisms each including a rotatable jigger spindle having a wareforming implement mounted thereon, movable supporting means for saidmechanisms for transporting them to a jiggering position, and a variablespeed jigger spindle drive mechanism common to all spindles at saidposition automatically operable to rotate each jigger spindle, one at atime, in succession.

2. In apparatus for jiggering potteryware, a plurality of rotatableprofiles movable in succession into and out of a fabricating station, aspindle for each profile for rotatably supporting the same, a variablespeed drive for said spindles automatically operable to vary the speedof rotation of selected profiles whilst performing a fabricatingoperation and the speed of rotation of said profiles as betweensuccessive profiles, a source of power and means for connecting saidsource to said drive.

3. In apparatus for jiggering potteryware, a plurality of rotatablejigger tools, a rotatable table for transporting said jigger tools to afabricating position, a drive belt at said position operable to rotatesaid jigger tools, a source of power, a drive connection between saidsource of power and said drive belt including a speed varying device,and cam actuated means for operating said speed varying device in timedrelation with the rotation of said table.

4. In apparatus for jiggering potteryware, a plurality of rotatablejigger tools movable into and out of a fabricating station, a flexiblemember for transmitting rotation to said jigger tools at said station,and means for driving said flexible member including a source of power,a speed varying means and means for automatically actuating said speedvarying means.

5. In apparatus for jiggering potteryware, a plurality of jiggeringmechanisms each including a rotatable jigger spindle having afabricating tool thereon, movable supporting means for transporting saidJ'iggering mechanisms to a jiggering position and a variable speed driveat said position for rotating said jigger spindles having cam actuatedmeans for automatically varying the speed of said drive.

6. In apparatus for jiggering potteryware, a plurality of jiggeringmechanisms each including a rotatable jigger spindle having afabricating implement thereon, a rotatable support for said mechanismsfor transporting them to a ware fabricating station and a variable speeddrive at said station for rotating said jigger spindles including aspeed varying device and a plurality of cams operable to actuate saiddevice.

'7. In apparatus for jiggering potteryware, a plurality of rotatableprofiles each to be actuated in successive order, at a jiggering stationa drive for rotating said profiles and means for varying the speed ofsaid drive including cams each having a surface developed to produce apredetermined speed of rotation for each profile and means for causingeach cam to be efiective on the drive as the profile with which it isassociated reaches the jiggering position.

8. In apparatus for jiggering potteryware, a jigger tool drive forrotating a plurality of jigger tool spindles including a source ofpower, a variable speed transmission, a cam disc having cams thereoneach having a surface effective on, and developed to produce a change inthe speed of operation of the variable speed transmission and means forrotating said cam disc.

9. In apparatus for jiggering potteryware, a plurality of rotatableprofiles, mounted on a rotatable table for carrying them to a jiggeringposition, a drive for said profiles to be engaged therewith insuccessive order, means for varying the speed of rotation of the severalprofiles and means, operating in timed relation with the rotation ofsaid table for actuating said speed varying means.

10. Jiggering apparatus comprising a plurality of rotatable profiles,some of which are to be rotated at different jiggering speeds thanothers, a support or carrying them through a fabricating zone, one afterthe other, and a variable speed drive for rotating said profilesincluding a driven member adjacent the fabricating zone relative towhich the profiles are moved into and out of the zone and a controllersynchronized with the movement of the support for varying the speed ofthe driven member to thereby vary the speed of rotation of the profilesas between profiles.

11. Jiggering apparatus comprising a plurality of rotatable profiles,some of which are to be rotated at different jiggering speeds thanothers, an angularly movable support for carrying them through afabricating zone, one after the other, a drive for rotating saidprofiles mounted alongside the support including a regulable control forvarying the speed of the drive and means for actuating the controlsynchronized with the movement of the support and operable to vary thespeed of the drive during angular movement of the table.

WILLIAM J. MILLER.

